Medicine & Health

An illustration from “When Grandpa Comes Home: A Story About Stroke,” an online book that teaches children how to cope when a relative suffers a strokeSpeedy treatment is essential to saving lives and preventing brain damage during a stroke. But the rapid pace of events also can leave patients and family members confused about what has happened and what to expect. That’s especially true for children whose parents or grandparents have a stroke. Now an online book is available to teach children about strokes at www.strokecenter.org/patients. More…

On the battlefield, a soldier’s hearing can be permanently damaged in an instant by the boom of an explosion, and thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq have some permanent hearing loss. But what if soldiers could take a pill before going on duty that would prevent damage to hearing? Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests a medicinal form of hearing protection may someday be a possibility. More…

An abdominal MRI scan showing the locations of subcutaneous and visceral fatAs scientists learn more about the key role of inflammation in diabetes, heart disease and other disorders, new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that fat in the belly may be an important promoter of that inflammation. It’s well known that excess fat is associated with disease, but the researchers have confirmed that fat cells inside the abdomen are secreting molecules that increase inflammation. It’s the first evidence of a potential mechanistic link between abdominal fat and systemic inflammation. More…

Parag Parikh and Kristen Lechleiter set up the 4D Phantom to simulate the motion of tumors in the lung.Tumors that move, such as those in the lung — which can change position during each breath — are a special problem for radiation oncologists. A group at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has studied the way lung tissues move during breathing in hopes of improving radiation as a treatment for lung cancer. More…

A compound that halts nerve cell activity when exposed to light glows in this image of two nerve cells.Brain activity has been compared to a light bulb turning on in the head. Scientists at the School of Medicine have reversed this notion, creating a drug that stops brain activity when a light shines on it. The new compound activates the same receptor used by many anesthetics and tranquilizers, making it harder for a brain cell to respond to stimulation. The drug may some day be used to treat epilepsy.

If you’re particularly good with puzzles or chess, the reason may be in your genes. A team of scientists, led by psychiatric geneticists at the School of Medicine, has gathered the most extensive evidence to date that a gene that activates signaling pathways in the brain influences one kind of intelligence. They have confirmed a link between the gene, CHRM2, and performance IQ, which involves a person’s ability to organize things logically.

HoltzmanDavid Holtzman, the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and head of Neurology, is co-recipient of the MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer’s Disease. Holtzman is also associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and a member of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at the School of Medicine.

Colin G. Nichols, Ph.D., recently became the first Carl F. Cori Professor at the School of Medicine. Nichols, who is professor of cell biology and physiology, studies molecules on the surfaces of cells known as ion channels. These channels let charged particles pass into and out of cells and play critical roles in physiological processes from thoughts to movement.

Investigators at the School of Medicine are expanding an ongoing study of the effects of combining exercise training with hormone therapy to improve physical function and quality of life in men 65 years of age and older.

Listed below are this month’s featured news stories. • Blocking nerves to stop diabetes (week of Feb. 7) • Intelligence gene (week of Feb. 14) • Diet supplements and eye disease (week of Feb. 21) • Testosterone replacement therapy (week of Feb. 28)